Grimes and Crank on the brink of club racing return?

THE Crank Racing name looks set to return to the club racing and roads scenes this season, with team boss Mark Grimes expected to make an announcement in the coming weeks.

Rumours abound that the Kent-based businessman is ready to make a comeback, and is on the cusp of releasing news.

UK Clubsport has learnt that Grimes’ Crank Racing outfit will be back in the Thundersport GB paddock, and will also have a presence on the roads during 2018.

Grimes and Crank Racing enjoyed club racing success when the squad ran Josh Day in 2016…

The team, which has always been about supporting charities through racing, is also expected to reveal two new good causes which it will support heavily throughout the year.

Crank made its debut in 2015 when Grimes ran Simon Low aboard its trademark ‘big yellow bike’, and then in 2016 returned with Josh Day. Day – who also made his North West 200 debut with the team that year – finished runner-up in GP1 after narrowly losing out to Lee Williams.

The Crank name has also been spotted on the roads, notably by supporting Derek Sheils and more recently with Andy Farrell.

In late 2016, Grimes announced he would sit out 2017 to concentrate on the day job, but vowed to return in 2018, and it would seem that an announcement from the team is now imminent.